Charles the Bold

Charles the Bold
Charles the Bold in about 1460, wearing the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, painted by Rogier van der Weyden
Duke of Burgundy
Reign	15 June 1467 – 5 January 1477
Predecessor	Philip the Good
Successor	Mary the Rich
Born	10 November 1433 Dijon, Burgundy
Died	5 January 1477(1477-01-05) (aged 43) Nancy, Lorraine
Burial	Church of Our Lady, Bruges
Spouses	Catherine of France ​ ​ (m. 1440; d. 1446)​ Isabella of Bourbon ​ ​ (m. 1454; d. 1465)​ Margaret of York ​ (m. 1468)​
Issue	Mary the Rich
Names Charles Martin
House	Valois-Burgundy
Father	Philip the Good
Mother	Isabella of Portugal
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

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Charles Martin (10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), called The Bold,^[a] was the last Duke of Burgundy from the Burgundian cadet branch of the House of Valois from 1467 to 1477. He was the only legitimate son of Philip the Good and his third wife, Isabella of Portugal. As heir and as ruler, Charles vied for power and influence. His deep-rooted rivalry with Louis XI, the King of France, sparked many disputes such as the War of the Public Weal, where Charles led a revolt with other French vassals against Louis XI.

After becoming the Duke of Burgundy in 1467, Charles pursued his ambitions for a kingdom independent from France, stretching contiguously from the North Sea in the north to the borders of Savoy in the south. For this purpose, he acquired Guelders and Upper Alsace; sought the title King of the Romans; and gradually became an enemy of the Germans. Charles married Edward IV's sister, Margaret of York, for an English alliance. He arranged the betrothal between his sole child, Mary, with Maximilian, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III.

A passionate musician and patron of the arts, Charles supported the production of illuminated manuscripts and music. His court was famously known as a centre of arts, chivalry and etiquette. He was obsessed with order and regulation and wrote many ordinances throughout his rule, dictating military matters, legislation, and diplomacy to the smallest detail. Charles was religious and his patron saint was Saint George. He turned down multiple requests from the Pope and the Venetians to undertake a crusade against the Ottoman Turks.

Towards the end of his life, Charles became engaged in a multi-national conflict called the Burgundian War (1474–1477), where he fought to retain ownership of Upper Alsace against the Lower League. After his unsuccessful siege of Neuss, he was defeated by the Swiss in the battles of Grandson and Morat. Charles was killed during the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477, fighting against René II of Lorraine and his Swiss army. His death triggered the War of the Burgundian Succession and ended the Burgundian State. Charles's daughter, Mary of Burgundy was the last of Charles's dynasty. Mary's son, Philip of Austria, inherited the Burgundian Netherlands.

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